Life-guard for freight-trains



(No Model.)

' J. W. BROOKER.

LIFE GUARD FOR PR EIGHTTRAINS.

Patented Mar. 10 1896.

gimva ntoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. BROOKER, OF DALTON, GEORGIA.

LIFE-GUARD FOR FREIGHT-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,925, dated March10, 1896.

Application filed May 21, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BROOKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dalton, in the county of Whitfield and State of Georgia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Guards forFreight- Trains, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the ac companying drawings.

This invention is designed to provide the ends of freight-cars with alife-guard attachment whereby the trainmen who are compelled to passback and forth on top of the cars will be prevented from accidentallyfalling between the cars and under the wheels, as more fully hereinafterset forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of afreight-car provided with my improved guard, the same being turned downin operative position; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the guard turnedup out of operative position; Figs. 3 and 4, side elevations of theadjacent ends of freight-cars provided with my attachment, the formerview showing the guard folded down and the latter showing the guardfolded up against the end of the car out of the way; and Fig. 5, a planview of the adjacent ends of the cars, showing the guard in similarposition.

In the drawings, A designates a platform consisting of a series ofintersecting rods and extending entirely across the end of the car, theinner longitudinal bar being extended at b to form journals which Workin verticallyslotted bearing-blocks B, secured to the ends of the carnear the vertical edges and a suitable distance from the roof of thecar. Two

tion.

fierial No. 550,108. (No model.)

folded position one or both of the journals 1) are provided with aradial arm a, which is adapted to engage a pin 0 inserted in a hole inthe side of the car, as shown in Fig. 2. The pin a is of courseremovable in order that the platform may be let down whenever desired.

The platform is of sufficient width to extend horizontally abouthalf-way across the space between the ends of the cars when the same arecoupled, so that the two platforms will cover the entire space betweenthe cars, and thereby prevent a brakeman falling any farther than theplatform should he slip in stepping from car to car. It will be observedthat the outer or forward ends of the short transverse bars of theplatform areslightly tapered at (1, so that when the couplers yield andthe ends of the cars are thereby brought closer together the edge of oneplatform may readily slide up on and overlap the edge of the oppositeplatform, whereby injury to the platform will be obviated. The slots inthe bearing-blocks 6 permit the platforms to rise slightly when theythus overlap.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. Thecombination of a car, a horizontal platform extending across the end ofthe car and pivoted thereto, the projecting edge of the platform beingtapered, so that adjacent platforms may overlap each other when the carscome together,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a car,and a platform extending across the end ofthe car and proj ecting horizontally therefrom and being verticallymovable bodily with respect to the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. BROOKER.

WVitnesses:

A. P. ROBERTS, H. G. HAMILTON.

